Gainsborough Old Hall, an English Heritage property in Lincolnshire, has unveiled a 'staggering' array of witches' marks, first carved to ward off evil spirits and demons. The discovery, which includes more than 20 ritual protection symbols carved into its walls, was made by Rick Berry, a long-time volunteer at English Heritage.
Over the course of two years, Rick Berry discovered and mapped around 20 carvings on the Tudor property, including an "amazing variety" of designs among the carvings. He found a particular concentration of marks in the Old Hall's servants' wing. "I have been volunteering for English Heritage at Gainsborough for nearly 20 years and know this property extremely well. So I was surprised when I noticed a previously undocumented protective mark a couple of years ago. I decided to see if I could find more and I just keep finding them. The last was a small pentagram and that was a few weeks ago, but who knows how many more are left to discover," Berry told CNN in an email sent by English Heritage.
The witch marks are among the most identified at any of English Heritage's 400 sites, making Gainsborough Old Hall particularly notable. Kevin Booth, the head of collections at English Heritage, said: "It is astonishing that, centuries on, the amazing old buildings in our care still have secrets waiting to be discovered." He added, "The Old Hall has undoubtedly had a tumultuous past, not least under the ownership of the apparently unpopular William Hickman. But why it’s the scene of a high concentration of protective carvings remains a mystery."
Some of the carved symbols are believed to trap demons, such as flowers with six petals carved within a simple circle, known as hexafoils. Other symbols include overlapping letter Vs, known as Marian marks, which are believed by some to call on the Virgin Mary for protection. A pentangle was also found at Gainsborough Old Hall, which was originally used to protect against evil, despite modern connotations.
Alongside carvings, roughly 100 burn marks were found around Gainsborough Old Hall. The burn marks were once believed to protect against fires. Some marks, like this one, have yet to be deciphered by experts. The reason for the high concentration of protective carvings at Gainsborough Old Hall remains a mystery.
A curse seems to have been cast upon the former owner William Hickman, who owned the property since 1596, as his name was found written upside down, a practice believed to curse the named person. According to English Heritage, a curse inscription has not been seen before at any of its sites. Writing a name upside down was widely believed to curse the named person.
Witch marks, also known as apotropaic marks, were traditionally made to provide ritual protection against evil, including demons, witches, or the evil eye, and were applied to the walls of caves and houses to ward off evil spirits. The word 'apotropaic' comes from the Greek word 'apotropaios', which is translated as averting danger.
Marks such as these can be found on the walls of many old houses, barns, and buildings in England. Despite their name, witch marks have little to do with witchcraft. They were designed to ward off evil and protect inhabitants and visitors from witches and evil spirits.
Kevin Booth stated: "We have a great team of volunteers across the country and it is testament to Rick's passion for the place that these incredible protection marks have been found at Gainsborough." Rick Berry also discovered a pentangle among the carvings at Gainsborough Old Hall.
The discovery was announced to coincide with Halloween and publicized by English Heritage, which manages hundreds of historic sites. In 2019, hundreds of witch marks were found carved on the walls of a cave system in the East Midlands, in central England. Experts say that similar signs were inscribed in churches and homes, as well as in other caves, and were used to ward off diseases, death, or poor harvests.
Gainsborough Old Hall has more than 20 ritual protection symbols carved into its walls, including unprecedented curse inscriptions, making it notable among English Heritage's 400 sites. The hall was visited by Henry VIII and Catherine Howard, adding to its historical significance.
Witch marks are designed to ward off evil and protect inhabitants and visitors from witches and evil spirits. Overlapping V's were found, known as Marian marks, as some believe they are a call for the protection of the Virgin Mary. The practice of defacing a name, such as writing it upside down, was widely believed to curse the named person.
Kevin Booth added: "The Old Hall has undoubtedly had a tumultuous past, not least under the ownership of the apparently unpopular William Hickman. But why it’s the scene of a high concentration of protective carvings remains a mystery."
Rick Berry believes some of the 'rare curse inscriptions' at Gainsborough Old Hall were made by William Hickman, who owned the hall from 1596. In one inscription at Gainsborough Old Hall, William Hickman's name is written upside down, a practice believed to curse the named person.
Alongside carvings, approximately 100 burn marks were found around Gainsborough Old Hall. The burn marks were once believed to protect against fires. Some of the symbols at Gainsborough Old Hall are believed to trap demons, and some are also thought to prevent fires.
Gainsborough Old Hall's rich history and the recent discovery of these witches' marks and curses reveal a spooky past that continues to intrigue historians and visitors alike.
Sources: The Scottish Sun, The Sun, Gazeta.ru, CNN Español, Sky News
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq